Wednesday, 11 Nov 2020

Written Answers Nos. 209-228

Dental Services

Questions (209)

Jennifer Whitmore

Question:

209. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Health the number of dentists who have left the DTSS for medical card holders; the basis on which they are leaving; the efforts his Department is taking to address the current impasse which has resulted in many medical card patients unable to obtain a dental appointment; if he has met with an association (details supplied); when the proposal for the supply of PPE was submitted to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35544/20]

Written answers

Minister for Health

The Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) provides dental care free of charge to medical card holders aged 16 and over. These services are provided by over 1,400 independent dental practitioners who have a contract with the HSE. I understand that since the beginning of March, 161 dentists have withdrawn from the DTSS and that 58 new applications are being processed. This is within the normal range of fluctuations of dentists participating in the Scheme in recent years.

The DTSS contract allows the dentist to withdraw from the scheme by giving 3 month’s notice in writing. I expect dentists to continue to honour their ethical and contractual obligations to patients during the notice withdrawal period, to either provide a service or to ensure that patients are referred to another dentist who will provide a service. The HSE assists medical card holders to access such treatment when required.

My Department, in conjunction with the HSE and supported by guidance from Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), is examining the issue of the provision of PPE across all parts of the health service, including health service contractors. My Department has been engaging with the Irish Dental Association (IDA) throughout the pandemic and is preparing for further engagement on any additional measures to support the oral health of the public during these difficult times.

Hospital Appointments Status

Questions (210)

Denis Naughten

Question:

210. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will be called for a procedure; the reason for the delay in same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35551/20]

Written answers

Minister for Health

It is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been impacted as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic the HSE had to take measures to defer most scheduled care activity in March, April, and May of this year. This was to ensure patient safety and that all appropriate resources were made available for Covid-19 related activity and time-critical essential work. This decision was in line with the advice issued by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) in accordance with the advice of the World Health Organisation.

Patient safety remains at the centre of all hospital activity and elective care scheduling. To ensure services are provided in a safe, clinically-aligned and prioritised way, hospitals are following HSE clinical guidelines and protocols.

The HSE continues to optimise productivity through alternative work practices such the use of alternative settings including private hospitals, community facilities and alternative outpatient settings.

Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.

The National Waiting List Management Policy is a standardised approach used by the HSE to manage scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures. It sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists and was developed in 2014 to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care.

In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Covid-19 Pandemic

Questions (211)

Neasa Hourigan

Question:

211. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health his plans to review the interim HSE advice on the return to school and at-risk groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35574/20]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Health Services Funding

Questions (212)

Patrick Costello

Question:

212. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 228 of 21 October 2020, if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a union (details supplied) has now stated that the HSE has effectively reneged on the WRC agreement; the future of the process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35575/20]

Written answers

Minister for Health

An agreement reached at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) in October 2018 provided for pay restoration in relation to 50 pilot organisations in the first instance. Pay restoration for these bodies commenced in April 2019 with further payments due in October 2020 and October 2021 as appropriate.

The agreement recognised that some of the remaining Section 39 organisations were also likely to have pay restoration issues and a process to address these issues commenced in 2019 under the auspices of the WRC. Despite the engagement which took place, it has not yet been possible to reach agreement.

The HSE are currently costing this next phase of pay restoration and are expected to complete the exercise in the coming weeks. Engagement will take place with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform once the HSE has completed this work. Health sector management remain committed to the process.

Mental Health Services

Questions (213)

Mark Ward

Question:

213. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the sports organisations that have applied for the community mental health fund to date; the number that were successful; the number that were unsuccessful; the reason they were not successful in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35584/20]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

The Community Mental Health Fund was a once-off fund of €3m, announced in Budget 2019. It was established to support community mental health initiatives across the country. Pobal is managing the fund in conjunction with the Healthy Ireland Fund and it is operated through local authorities and Túsla-led Children and Young People’s Services Committees. Programmes must be in line with local and national policies and objectives for the benefit of people in their communities.

€1 million of the Community Mental Health Fund is being disbursed as a small grant scheme. Local authorities are responsible for the small grant scheme at a local level and have autonomy for the design of the scheme and the process, including governance procedures for awarding grants. Unfortunately, Covid-19 has delayed the operation of the scheme in many authorities.

Pobal is reviewing progress and finance reports from local authorities and Children and Young People’s Services Committees. The review is expected to be finalised shortly and a report will then be submitted to the Department. The Department, therefore, is not yet in a position to provide information on the sports organisations that have applied for assistance from the Fund.

Community voluntary and sporting organisations should contact their local authority for more information on the progress of the small grant scheme in their area.

Departmental Expenditure

Questions (214)

Neasa Hourigan

Question:

214. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the cost of renting office space, including for public bodies, from a company (details supplied) in 2019 and to date in 2020, in tabular form. [35613/20]

Written answers

Minister for Health

My Department has never rented office space for itself or for any public body from the detailed company.

Covid-19 Tests

Questions (215)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

215. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the breakdown of the sectors of employment that those who test positive for Covid-19 are in; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35628/20]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Covid-19 Tests

Questions (216)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

216. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health the details of all Covid-19 screening programmes he has planned or is planning to introduce; if same will be introduced for screening by region, industry, school or third level institution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35629/20]

Written answers

Minister for Health

The HSE has worked intensively over the last number of months to put in place a comprehensive testing and tracing operation. We now have on-island capacity to test up to 126,000 people per week, which can be increased to 140,000 per week by utilising available surge capacity with the HSE’s German Lab partner.

We are now able to conduct automatic testing of close contacts, serial testing in high risk environments and large-scale testing in outbreak situations. For example, at the request of the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), programmes of serial testing in Residential Care Facilities and food production facilities have been undertaken with a number of cycles of testing have been completed to date. Based on Public Health risk assessments, testing is deployed as necessary in the event of detected cases in other settings such as schools, etc.

As part of its ongoing process improvement, the HSE is currently running a nationwide recruitment campaign for swabbers and contact tracers, setting up temporary swabbing sites and making process improvements to the end-to-end test and trace system. Testing and contact tracing continues to be a key component of the Government’s and the country’s response to the pandemic.

The testing and contact tracing operational and resource model has been designed to flex up and down as needed, it has been stressed tested at higher activity levels and is capable of responding quickly to changes in demand. The HSE will continue to apply the necessary resources to ensure that response remains effective. The policy on testing and tracing remains under continuing review by the National Public Health Emergency Team and by officials in my Department and in the HSE.

Mental Health Services

Questions (217)

Mark Ward

Question:

217. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the sports organisations that have received funding from the HSE national office for suicide to provide suicide or mental health services; the process for applying for this funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35635/20]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Mental Health Services

Questions (218)

Mark Ward

Question:

218. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the number of staff and volunteers from sporting organisations that have taken part in suicide prevention training provided by the HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention by gender and age in each the years 2017 to 2019 and to date in 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35636/20]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Mental Health Services

Questions (219)

Mark Ward

Question:

219. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the policies, plans and programmes designed to integrate suicide prevention programmes through the national physical activity plan; the suicide prevention training and well-being programmes delivered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35637/20]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Mental Health Services

Questions (220)

Mark Ward

Question:

220. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the number of sport organisations which have received mental health first aid training; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35638/20]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Dental Services

Questions (221)

Kathleen Funchion

Question:

221. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health the number of children waiting for a dental appointment in counties Carlow and Kilkenny, and the length of time they have been waiting, in tabular form. [35648/20]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Questions (222)

Malcolm Noonan

Question:

222. Deputy Malcolm Noonan asked the Minister for Health if reimbursement of Covid-19-related costs will be forthcoming to disability service providers (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35657/20]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As the Deputy is aware, the Government has agreed to allocate substantial additional funding to the Health Vote to meet the costs associated with the implementation of the measures outlined in the National Action Plan in response to COVID-19. Specific action has been taken at my request and that of Minister Rabbitte, to relieve Disability service providers of the necessity to achieve a 1% efficiency target in 2020.

The HSE, through the Community Healthcare Organisations (CHOs) is actively engaging with any disability service providers who are experiencing financial challenges, including access to cash acceleration, where appropriate, to maintain continuity of service provision. The HSE has also given disability service providers assurances that budget allocations confirmed to each provider via the relevant CHO, will remain in place to year end, subject to co-operation with the HSE and compliance with the relevant Service Arrangements. The HSE has put in place a structured governance process through which Section 39 organisations experiencing financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, can make submissions for financial and non-financial supports, as appropriate.

Other supports provided by CHOs to Section 38 and Section 39 organisations providing disability specialist services between March and May 2020 include:

- PPE and Infection Prevention and Control support, advice and training;

- Public health advice and support with regard to suspected or positive cases;

- Isolation facilities allied to testing, funding for emergency residential placements and;

- Logistics in the form of transport and accommodation.

The HSE will continue to work in partnership with all service provider organisations to ensure the best level of service possible is provided to people with a disability, and their families, within the resources available. As the Deputy's question deals with organisations providing services to the HSE, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.

Covid-19 Pandemic

Questions (223)

Matt Carthy

Question:

223. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health if all documentation relating to the investigation into a series of outbreaks of Covid-19 in meat processing plants in Ireland will be published, as referred to in the letter of 7 August 2020 he received from NPHET; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35670/20]

Written answers

Minister for Health

A report titled “Investigation into a Series of Outbreaks of COVID-19 in Meat Processing Plants in Ireland, 2020” was presented to NPHET on the 6th August 2020 by the HPSC. The NPHET agreed with the interim recommendations laid out in the report and relayed this to the Minister in its letter on the 7th August.

This report has been published and is available on the Department of Health website along with the minutes of this meeting which detail the discussion of the report and the subsequent actions:

https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/691330-national-public-health-emergency-team-covid-19-coronavirus/

Hospital Services

Questions (224, 243)

Matt Shanahan

Question:

224. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health the reason public patients in County Waterford are directed to Cork and Dublin at great personal discomfort and cost while bypassing a newly opened service (details supplied) in Waterford which is at present trying to close a service agreement to provide for these patients in their own locality and under the medical care and supervision of their own cardiologists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35671/20]

Matt Shanahan

Question:

243. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health the rationale for the procurement procedures and cost-benefit analysis that the NTPF describes in sending public patient cardiac angiograms out of Waterford to centres in Dublin and Cork while bypassing the local private hospital cath lab which has been providing a cover cath lab service to University Hospital Waterford while its own cath lab was closed for seven months; and his views on the way in which public patient safety, patient cost and patient personal inconvenience are considered when the NTPF makes such decisions. [35807/20]

Written answers

Minister for Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 224 and 243 together.

The National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) procures capacity for high-volume procedures in order to positively impact waiting time for patients. Such procedures may be procured in both private hospitals (outsourcing), or public hospitals (insourcing). In order to ensure competitive pricing as part of their outsourcing programme, the NTPF works with private hospitals from a panel agreement and engages in procurement processes through e-tender.

The availability of capacity for the specific procedure required by the patient is a factor in the selection of treatment provider, as well as the ability and willingness of the patient to travel to another hospital to avail of treatment. Patients are contacted by their referring hospital with an offer of treatment at an alternative hospital and the NTPF advises that they endeavour to accommodate patients requiring procedures in hospitals closer to home, if they are requested by the public hospital to do so.

The NTPF works with public hospitals, as opposed to with patients directly, to offer and provide the funding for treatment to clinically suitable long waiting patients who are on an inpatient/day case waiting list for surgery, having been referred on to such a list following clinical assessment by a consultant/specialist at an outpatient clinic.

The key criteria of the NTPF is the prioritisation of the longest waiting patients first. While the NTPF identifies patients eligible for NTPF treatment, it is solely on the basis of their time spent on the Inpatient/Daycase Waiting List. The clinical suitability of the patient to avail of NTPF funded treatment is determined by the public hospital.

Primary Care Centres

Questions (225)

Róisín Shortall

Question:

225. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the status and timeline for the delivery of a primary care centre in Finglas, Dublin 11, which was first promised over eight years ago; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35674/20]

Written answers

Minister for Health

The development of primary care is central to the Government's objective to deliver a high quality, integrated and cost-effective health care system.

Finglas has been identified as a high priority location for the development of a Primary Care Centre. Approval for a HSE direct-build Primary Care Centre was approved in 2012. Following the review of a number of sites in the area, a Dublin City Council owned property on Mellowes Road, Finglas was identified as the preferred site. Subject to planning permission, the commercial terms for the sale were agreed with the officials of Dublin City Council and approved by the HSE.

The planning permission was appealed to An Bord Pleanála where an inspector upheld the Dublin City Council decision. However, in February 2015, An Bord Pleanála took the unexpected decision not to grant planning permission for the Finglas primary care centre due to the loss of informal open space.

Following this refusal, HSE Estates in conjunction with local Primary Care Services Teams identified an alternative site for a new Primary Care Centre in Finglas and initiated discussions with Dublin City Council in relation to purchasing this site on terms agreeable to both parties.

Feasibility studies on the site are still progressing. The HSE will be tendering for the services of a Design Team to progress the proposed project to completion in the near future subject to agreeable conclusion to the site purchase.

Home Help Service

Questions (226)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

226. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health when home help provision will be made in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35675/20]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

As this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Hospital Appointments Status

Questions (227)

Robert Troy

Question:

227. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if an appointment for a person (details supplied) will be expedited. [35681/20]

Written answers

Minister for Health

It is recognised that waiting times for scheduled appointments and procedures have been impacted as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic the HSE had to take measures to defer most scheduled care activity in March, April, and May of this year. This was to ensure patient safety and that all appropriate resources were made available for Covid-19 related activity and time-critical essential work. This decision was in line with the advice issued by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) in accordance with the advice of the World Health Organisation.

Patient safety remains at the centre of all hospital activity and elective care scheduling. To ensure services are provided in a safe, clinically-aligned and prioritised way, hospitals are following HSE clinical guidelines and protocols.

The HSE continues to optimise productivity through alternative work practices such the use of alternative settings including private hospitals, community facilities and alternative outpatient settings.

Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.

The National Waiting List Management Policy is a standardised approach used by the HSE to manage scheduled care treatment for in-patient, day case and planned procedures. It sets out the processes that hospitals are to implement to manage waiting lists and was developed in 2014 to ensure that all administrative, managerial and clinical staff follow an agreed national minimum standard for the management and administration of waiting lists for scheduled care.

In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Hospital Staff

Questions (228)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

228. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health his plans to meet the significant shortage of doctors at Naas General Hospital in the short term with particular reference to quickly addressing deficiencies in processing streams of Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35686/20]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.